SENATE, No. 362
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION
By Senator MATHEUSSEN
An Act concerning the installation of crossing control arms on school buses and supplementing P.L.1965, c.119 (C.39:3B-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Every school bus used to transport pupils pursuant to N.J.S.18A:39-1 et seq. shall be equipped with a crossing control arm at the right front corner of the bus. The arm shall open and extend out from the front of the bus at least 5 1/2 feet each time the bus door is opened. The use of the crossing control arm shall not be required on school bus routes where no pupil need cross a street prior to boarding or upon leaving the bus.
2. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately but section 1 shall only apply to school buses with a chassis manufacture date on or after the first day of the sixth month following the enactment of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the installation of a crossing control arm on all school buses with a chassis manufacture date on or after the first day of the sixth month following enactment. The bill provides, however, that the use of the crossing control arm will not be required on school bus routes where no pupil need cross a street prior to boarding or upon leaving the bus.
A crossing control arm is a safety device which is attached to the right front corner of a school bus. Each time the bus door is opened, the arm extends outward from the front of the bus. Its purpose is to prevent children who must cross the street after exiting the bus from walking too close to the front where the driver may be unable to see them.
Requires the installation of crossing control arms on public school buses.